Nutmeg, 2 weeks old, and her mother Ginger, both Nyala antelope, stand in their pen at the Houston Zoo, on Friday, Jan. 3.

Photo By Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle

Nutmeg, 2 weeks old, and her mother Ginger, both Nyala antelope, stand in their pen at the Houston Zoo, on Friday, Jan. 3.

Photo By Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle

Nutmeg, 2 weeks old, and her mother Ginger, both Nyala antelope, stand in their pen at the Houston Zoo, on Friday, Jan. 3.

Photo By Houston Zoo

These two cuties were born June 6, the clouded leopard cubs are the result of the first pregnancy for two year old Suksn who gave birth in a private den off exhibit with a labor of just one hour. Lucky Mom.

Photo By Stephanie Adams/Houston Zoo/Stephanie Adams

The two fabulously adorable clouded leopard cubs were born at the zoo on June 6. They are not on public show yet but the two boys have been named Kashi and Senja.

Photo By Stephanie Adams/Houston Zoo/Stephanie Adams

The two fabulously adorable clouded leopard cubs were born at the zoo on June 6. They are not on public show yet but the two boys have been named Kashi and Senja.

Photo By Stephanie Adams/ Houston Zoo/Stephanie Adams

Twelve-week-old clouded leopard cubs Koshi and Senja took their first romp in the grass Friday during their final days behind-the-scenes at the Houston Zoo. As they grow, their mischievous personalities are coming out. Koshi thinks it’s fun to practice his aerial skills by leaping onto the caregivers while Senja prefers climbing and has perfected the art of escaping over the baby gate barrier. The pair, born June 6, will make their public debut in mid-September.

Photo By Stephanie Adams/ Houston Zoo/Stephanie Adams

Twelve-week-old clouded leopard cubs Koshi and Senja took their first romp in the grass Friday during their final days behind-the-scenes at the Houston Zoo. As they grow, their mischievous personalities are coming out. Koshi thinks it’s fun to practice his aerial skills by leaping onto the caregivers while Senja prefers climbing and has perfected the art of escaping over the baby gate barrier. The pair, born June 6, will make their public debut in mid-September.

Photo By Houston Zoo

There are just 91 De Brazza's monkeys at 31 zoos in North America according to Houston zoo, and they added this one on the last day of 2013. This little monkey currently has two names - Ruby or Rupert. Officials currently cant get close enough to determine if s/he is a male or female and so will wait until the first physical exam at one year old.

Photo By Houston Zoo

This baby Fantastic Leaf Tailed Gecko (yes fantastic is in the name) was born on February 17. The Madagascan natives are known to be masters of camouflage and mimic dead leaves and twigs. Need more practice with pens though it seems.

Photo By Houston Zoo

This male giraffe was born February 4 weighing in at 165 pounds and six and a half feet tall. Zoo visitors named him Baridi after an online vote.

Photo By Houston Zoo

You've probably all seen Duncan, the Asian elephant born at the zoo February 7.

Baby bears Belle and Willow took just 30 minutes to find a way out of their enclosure last month, scaling the wall to roam free in a planter area above as visitors watched on.

Photo By Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle

A 17-week-old bobcat named Sierra looks around at the Houston Zoo on Friday, Jan. 3.

Photo By Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle

A 17-week-old bobcat named Sierra looks around at the Houston Zoo on Friday, Jan. 3.

Photo By Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle

A 17-week-old bobcat named Sierra looks around at the Houston Zoo on Friday, Jan. 3.

Photo By Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle

A bamboo shark, 115 days old, swims in its egg case at the aquarium at the Houston Zoo. The shark will be about 5 inches long when it hatches.

Photo By Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle

A bamboo shark, 115 days old, swims in its egg case at the aquarium at
the Houston Zoo. The shark will be about 5 inches long when it hatches.

Photo By Pin Lim/For The Chronicle

Toby the baby giraffe, born the night before Thanksgiving at Bayou Wildlife Zoo, relaxes near his mother, Bella.

Photo By Pin Lim/For The Chronicle

Toby the baby giraffe, born the night before Thanksgiving at Bayou Wildlife Zoo, relaxes near his mother, Bella.

Photo By Pin Lim/For The Chronicle

Toby the baby giraffe, born the night before Thanksgiving at Bayou Wildlife Zoo, relaxes near his mother, Bella. Photo by Pin Lim.

Photo By Stephanie Adams

Gulliver peers out from his mother's fur. The newborn, a Coquerel's sifaka, weighed about 92 grams at birth.

Photo By J. Patric Schneider/For the Houston Chronicle

Zenobia, an endangered lemur from the island of Madagascar, walks the fence at the Houston Zoo on Saturday, Jan. 4. Zenobia gave birth to her fourth child Gulliver on December 13.

Photo By J. Patric Schneider/For the Houston Chronicle

Zenobia, an endangered lemur from the island of Madagascar, walks the fence at the Houston Zoo on Saturday, Jan. 4. Zenobia gave birth to her fourth child Gulliver on December 13.

Photo By J. Patric Schneider/For the Houston Chronicle

Gulliver, an endangered lemur from the island of Madagascar, stays warm by snuggling with his mother Zenobia at the Houston Zoo on Saturday, Jan. 4.

Photo By Johnny Hanson/Houston Chronicle

The first two Gentoo penguin chicks of the season on Dec. 12 at Moody Gardens in Galveston.

Photo By Johnny Hanson/Houston Chronicle

The first two Gentoo penguin chicks of the season on Dec. 12 at Moody Gardens in Galveston.

Photo By Johnny Hanson/Houston Chronicle

The first two Gentoo penguin chicks of the season on Dec. 12 at Moody Gardens in Galveston.

Photo By Houston Zoo

A baby pygmy marmoset born July 27 at the Houston Zoo.

Photo By Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

A, yet to be named, baby pygmy marmoset clings to the back of a sibling Tuesday, Aug. 13, at the Houston Zoo.

Photo By Houston Zoo

A baby pygmy marmoset born July 27 at the Houston Zoo.

The Houston Zoo welcomed a new baby boy elephant into the fold early Friday morning, according to zoo director Rick Barongi.

The 385-pound Asian elephant newborn, named Duncan, was born at just after 2 a.m. and is currently resting with his mother Shanti, who carried Duncan for nearly 23 months.

Shanti's labor process was very quick, Barongi said.

"Duncan was out of womb in three minutes from the contraction," he said. The whole nine-member elephant staff was on hand to help Shanti. Zoo staff had been on birth watch since before Thanksgiving with Shanti.

Duncan was born in one of the "bedrooms" inside the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. He was examined by zoo staff just after his birth and looks fine. The keepers came up with the name Duncan for the newborn, says Barongi.

"Right now he's very mellow and he's been nursing a lot. When he was first born he was vocalizing a lot and very active," Barongi said.

He's still working on walking, no small feat for someone that weighs nearly 400 pounds and is less than a day old.

"We couldn't be more pleased with him," he says. "They are just so special to us."

Shanti is an experienced mother, so this is nothing new for her. This is her fourth child, and she gives birth about every four years.

"She's just a great, perfect mom. Very attentive," said Barongi.

He anticipates that Duncan will be in the barn for a few days before he can be seen by the public.